In 2019, internet and modern technology is almost everywhere. Whether you’re in downtown Manhattan or rural America alike, you can get phone service and access to the vast, open internet. It’s likely that more than 50% of people worldwide are using the internet at this point. This even includes many third-world countries that are lacking in basic resources. While the internet is of course practical, people also want it…everywhere. With so much connectivity in remote places, do you’re probably wondering “Do indigenous tribes still exist?“. Even with the advancement of technology, some people still live separate from the rest of society – completely separate.
In this article, we’ll discuss 4 isolated tribes and how they live their lives!
What Is An Indigenous Tribe?
According to the United Nations: “Indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment. They have retained social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live”.
This means that despite being located within a country, they have maintained the original culture and way of life that predates the country and culture they exist within.
So yes, indigenous tribes still exist!
This distinctly separate way of life is what gets so many people interested in learning about indigenous tribes.
Isolated vs. Uncontacted Tribes
In this article, we are discussing indigenous tribes that live in isolation. They’ve had contact with the outside world, just very little – particularly when it comes to culture and way of life.
Then there are tribes that are considered “uncontacted“. They are tribes who live completely separate from the modern world and have had zero contact with it. The majority of them live on islands or in remote parts of the world – living completely off the land.
Without further ado, here’s our list of 4 indigenous tribes and how they live!
1. The Kalash People Of Northern Pakistan
Located high in the Hindu Kush mountain range, the Kalash people are believed to be descendants of Alexander the Great’s soldiers, who fought in the region over 2,000 years ago. One of the tell-tales of this? The Kalash people’s lighter complexion and European features, which contrast those who are native to Pakistan.
While the vast majority of Pakistanis are Muslim, the Kalash people have their own religion and only about half of the Kalash people follow Islam.
Traditions include a barter system for marriage as well as marriage by elopement, singing and dancing, animal sacrifice and inter-village competition via playing games. There is a special building in the village known as the bashaleni, where women live separately during menstruation and giving birth.
Women and men alike wear locally-made clothing and live in simple flat-roof huts. The journey is arduous, and side-winding dirt roads must be traversed to reach the Kalash tribes. Many do drink, though!
The Kalash people are somewhat well-known though, because they receive hundreds of outside visitors every year. The total number of Kalash people in existence is about 3,000. In turn, these tribes benefit from tourism and can integrate with outsiders to a reasonable degree.
2. The Hadza Tribe Of Tanzania
Located in Tanzania, adjacent to Lake Eyasi and the Serengeti, live the Hadza people. The Hadza have been indigenous to the region for thousands of years.
With only a little over 1,000 Hadza alive today, they remain separate from others in the region geographically, but also culturally.
For example, the Hadza people are egalitarian – men and women of all ages are essentially seen as equal. There’s no hierarchal structure of command within a particular tribe – negotiating and discussion is the main way things get resolved.
The Hadza tribe solely rely on hunting and gathering to survive, eating whatever they catch of find.
The Hadza are known for speaking their own language, containing clicks like many others in the region but appear to have no connection with the others. In fact, genetic tests show that people living a short distance away have completely different genetic makeup – they separated thousands of years ago.
The Hadza have been living more or less the same hunter-gatherer lifestyle for several thousand years, with no sign of changing soon. They don’t farm or produce – they completely live off the land.
The Hadza tribe also believe in stories and myths, with topics like giants, heroes and celestial bodies. While they may live separately, they’re no different than the rest of us when it comes to imagination and belief!
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3. The Oroqen People Of China & Mongolia
The Oroqen tribe, totaling about 8,000 people in modern day, is geographically split between northern China and Mongolia.
Oroqen have survived largely due to their hunting skills. They hunt for survival for food, but also for clothing – many of their clothes are handmade from animal pelts. Specifically – reindeer.
In fact, the word Oroqen roughly translates to ‘keeper of reindeer’ or ‘reindeer herder’. This is largely because of their occupation of mountain land in the region.
The Oroqen speak their own language, but can understand a fair share of other local languages, too. Despite living in isolation, they’re able to write in Chinese and Daur (Mongolia). The Oroqen marry within their culture but only to those outside of their own clan.
Life hasn’t been easy for the Oroqen. Invasion of the Russian Empire drove them further into the mountains. Occupation of Manchuria by the Japanese included exploiting the Oroquen, forcing them to hunt and to take opium in experimental fashion, all while providing little for survival. At one point, the Oroqen population dwindled down to 1,000.
Modern times are better. The Chinese government has given provisions to the Oroqens willing to give up their hunting-survival practices and join society. They’re also one of the most educated minorities in China, with nearly 1 in 4 being college-educated today.
4. The Awá Tribe Of Brazil
Also known as Guajá, the Awá tribe is an indigenous tribe living in the Amazon rainforest. The Awá tribe is almost considered ‘uncontacted’ based on our earlier definition, because very few outsiders have interacted with them.
Only a few hundred Awá people still exist, with a fair portion of them having never interacted with the outside world. This number dwindles each year, as the logging industry and general deforestation continues to wipe out their environment.
The Awá people make their own tools, hunt for food, gather fruit and nuts and even keep small monkeys as pets.
For hundreds of years, the Awá tribe has been on the run. Ever since Europeans invaded the region in the 1800’s, the Awá have lived a nomadic lifestyle since. Some believe the Awá to be the last descendants of the Aztecs.
Some Awá have moved into government-provided settlements in more recent years, but a fair portion still live on-the-move to this day in small clans of a dozen or so – living entirely off the land.
Some human rights organizations have described the Awá as the “world’s most endangered tribe“. Between land clearing and illegal logging, the Awá population continues to dwindle, with murders and other humanitarian crimes being among the reasons for their deaths.
Recently, the Awá tribe has been featured in several publications in order to spread awareness of the plights they’re facing. Along with several other tribes still in existence, forest clearing – especially illegal deforestation – is wiping out their land and population. While awareness has increased, the ultimate fate of the Awá tribe and similar indigenous groups is still not clear.
In Summary
In America, it can be all too easy to forget how good we have it, and also, how different life used to be. Some indigenous tribes, like those mentioned here, decided long ago to continue their traditional way of living rather than change to conform with society. The answer to our original question of “Do Indigenous Tribes Still Exist?” is of course, yes. How long they last, though, will only be revealed in time.